Train-pipe coupling.



s. P.. POSTER. I TRAIN PIPE GOUPLING. APPLICATION FILED NOV.l7, 1909.

Patented Au 2, 1910.

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Patented Aug. 2, 1910;

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P. FOSTER.

TRAIN PIPE COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17, 1909.

Patented Aug". 2, 1910.

QM I! w wilmaooao UNITED PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL P. FOSTER, OF EAST CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE. ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO N CHARLES A. BEDELL, 'OF EAST CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

TRAIN-PIPE COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 17, 1909.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

Serial No. 528,583.

dll whom it may concern: cit; known that I, SAMUEL l Fos'rnu, a'citizerr of the United States, residing at East Chattanooga, in the county of Hamil- 5 ton and State of lermcssee, have invented certain new and useful lm ')ro\'emcnts in Train-Pipe Couplings; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in train pipe couplings.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a simple coupling of the above class for connccting what is commonly known as the train or brake pipe, the signal \alvepipc and the heating pipe.

A further object ofthe. invention to provide a coupling of the above class which will readily adapt itself to any vertical or sidewise movcu'icntof the car couplers withoutallowing any leakage.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1' y is a side elevation of a car coupler in coupled on line 77 of Fig. 6.

relation applied totwo adjacent cal s shown partly in section. Fig. 2- is a plan view of the coupler and portions of the cars; Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal scctiontakcn through the coupling with the car coupler shown in elevation and the parts represented on an enlarged scale. Fig. at. is a horizontal section taken on line'44 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse sec tion taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is an elevation of oncof the coupling members. Fig. 7 is a. transverse section taken Fig. 8 is a detail .perspectirc view of one of the hangers. Fig. 9 is a vertical transverse section taken through the upper end oi one 01 the side pieces of the hanger and the means for mounting the hanger 1n position. Fig. 10

IS an elevation of: a modified form of couplin 'member and F12. 11 is a transverse sectron taken on lmc 1.t1l of Fig. 10.

Refer-r111 to the drawnws which are for illustrative purposes only and therefore not 1- drawn to scale, the numerals l and 2 represent portions of two adjacent cars to which the coupling is applied, 3 and. 4 the members of the car coupler, which may be of the Janney or any other approved type and are mounted between the beams 5 and 6 of the cars in the usual manner.

The numeral 7 indicates the brake pipe which is mounted beneath the cars in any suitable manner, 8 the signal pipe and 9 the heating pipe.

I will now describe the train pipe coupling which consists of two parts, but as each part or section is of identical construction but one need be described.

Each section comprises a couplii'ig member 10 which is formed in asingle casting and comprises a body portion 10 provided \i'itha plurality of vertically alined bores ll, 12 and 13, respectively. The body portion of the casting has cxtent'ling from its central portion and opposite sides a pair of latcrally-extending arms 14 and 15 at the outer end of the former of which is arranged an outwardly flared cone-shaped port-ion 16, and at the other end of the. latter of which is formed a conc shapod head or hearing portion 17. When the two sections of the coupler are in coupled rela-tiiom the head or bearing portion of one section fits in the flared or cone-shapedportion 16 of the other section as will be understood. The castings are supported upon the hangers 17 which are of approximatelyU-shape form and are provided. at; opposite ends with the bearing portions 18 which receive the threaded pins 19, whereby thehangernncmbers are pig-'otally mounted upon the respective members of the car coupler. The side pieces 20 of the hanger members are provided with longitudinal slots 21 which receive screws 22, which pass through said slots and screw into cars or extensions 23, projecting from the inner sides of the castings. 13y thus connecting the castings. with the hanger members the requisite vertical play is providctl to (.Oll'lpOllStli'G for the usual vertical swinging movement; of the car coupler owingto irregularities of the track. Guard plates 2-lare suitably secured to oppositesides of the respective members of the car coupler and. are provided with offset depend- 18 of the hanger members and the pivot pins 19.

ing portions 25 which are disposed over and form a protection for the bearing portions gaskets in the other section.

any air or steam.

Metal coupling sleeves 26 have their outer ends extending' into the central bores 12 of the castings 10 and their opposite or outer ends passing through the semi-spher1oal bearing portions 27 0 the supporting brackets 28. The brackets 28 are provided with vertical webs 29 having formed at their up per ends rounded bearing portions 30 which are slidably mounted in the tubular portions 31 of the bearing plates 32,.whieh are secured to the bottom faces of the body portions 33 of the car coupler members by the screws 34. Plates 35 are interposed between the bottom faces of the bearing plates 32 and the heads of the fastening screws 34-. and are provided with outstrnck portions 36 which engage the heads of said screws and hold them against working loose. It is to be understood, however, that any other suitable form of locking means for the screws may be employed. The web 29 of the supporting brackets 28 have formed at their front edges the lateral-flanges 37 which are adapted to engage the outer ends of the bearing plates' 32 and limit the rearward sliding movement of said bearing brackets. It is to be partibularly observed that the sideedges 38 of the tubular portions-31 of the bearing plates 32 are slightly spaced from onnosite faces of the webs 29 of the bearing brackets, while the upper edges of the flanges 37 are disposed slightly beneath the-bottom faces of the car coupler members to allow for a cer' tain amount of side play or lateral swingingmoveinentof the bearing ln'ackets when. the cars are rounding a curve.

Coil springs 39 are disposed around the coupling sleeves 2G with their opposite ends bearing against the inner faces o'li thecastings and the extended portions-l0 of the semi-spherical bearing members 41, the headsof which fit in the. bearing portions 27 of tlie supporting brackets 28. The pur pose of the springs 39 is to exert a tension upon the castings ot' the coupling members so that when said members are in-coupled relation they will be held in tight engage inent which will obviate any possibility of air or steam leakage between the castings. To further insure against any possibility of leakage rubber gaskets 4-2 are arranged in the outer endsof the bores 11 and 12 of the castings, and when the two'castings are in coupled relation, the outer ends of the gaskels ofoue casting engage'said ends of the are such that when the castings are sepa rated,theouter ends thereof pro ect slightly beyond the'ad aeentsidesot the castings with the result that when thetwo sections are nleoupled relation, the gaskets are held "compressed,2wh1eh 'IHSUIGS a tighter engagement therebetween and provides an ads ditional safe guard against the leakage of The gasket Another reason for niakin the gaskets as above described, is that in tlie event of any slight separation between the castin owing to any pla of the ear coupler, t e gaskets will readily expand so that their ,meeting ends will still be in engagement. The coupling sleeves 43 project into the inner ends of the bores 12 of the castings and are connected with the signal pipe by "any suitable flexible means, such for example, as

theihqse 14. The hose 44 and the hose 4:5 extendin from the coupling sleeves 26, are connected with the signal pipe and brake pipe 8 and 9, respectively, by the two-way valves 46, the plu s of which are provided with the outwardly extending operating a-ods 4C7 having the handle portions 4:8, whereby the plugs may be turned to estab' lish communication through the brake, and signal valve pipes and to out off communication between said pipes and the hose 44 and 45, or whereby the plugs of said valves may be turned to establish communication between the brake and signal pipes and the hose 44 and 45 and to closesaid pipes against the passage of any. fluid there form seats for the spherical heads .53 ofthe sleeves 5d, the outer ends of the stems 55 of which are adapted to engage when the coup ling members are in coupled relation. Coil springs 56 are arranged in the bores 13 of the castings between the'inner ends of the disks 5i. and coupling plugs 49 and exert prrssure against the former,'whereby the stems 53 0f the hollow sleeves 54 are maintain'ed in secure'engagement, or are projected and still ina-intainedin engagement should the castings become sligli'tly's'eparated for reasons heretofore made known. The outer ends of the body portions of the castings 10 are recessed as zit-57 and 58 'to provn'lo the arcuate shoulders 59. When the om members of the. coupler are in coupled relation, the shoulders 59 of onecasting work against those of" the other casting, When the coupler is to be applied to freight cars where the si nal pipe and heating pipe are not used, the body of; the casting is only;

provided with a central bore 12, and the tubular portions of thecasting forming'the -'1. 1;es-1 1 and 13 are made solid. By manipulating the operating rods 48, the passage of air or steam through the brake signal valve established through the coupling; Another advantage in providing the valves lti and' operating rods 4:7 isthat a car etpiipped with 'or heating pipe may either-be out GE 02- ceases one member of my improved coupling may be coupled with another car provided with'the 1 old means of connection between the train pipes as the plugs of the valves 46 may be turned to cut ofi communication between the of steam and air through the said pipe sections to the old connections.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without re uiring a more extended explanation;

arious changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the adverb tages of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A train pipe coupling comprising a pair of hanger members pivotally mounted upon the respective members oft-he car coupler and provided in their side pieces with longitudinal slots, castings having portions extending through the slots of the hanger members and provided with a plurality of vvertically' alined longitudinal passages, supporting brackets having a limited sidewise play mounted beneath the respective members of the car coupler, coupling sleeves extendinginto the central passages of the ca stings and through the lower ends of the supporting brackets, flexible means of connection between said coupling sleeves and the brake pipe, coil springs around the coupling sleeves to hold the latter pressed together and flexible means of connection between the upper and lower passages of the castings and the signal and heating pipes of the train.

2. In a train pipe coupling, bearing plates having tubular longitudinally recessed por- 'tions mounted beneath the respective members of the car coupler, su porting brackets having vertical Webs provi ed at their upper edges with rounded bearing portions seatlng in the tubular portions of the bearing plates, the width of the webs being somewhat less than that of the recesses of the bearing plates to provide for a limited side play of the supporting brackets, castings mounted beneath the respective members of the car coupler,

said castings having vertical alined longitudinal passages, coupling sleeves extendin into the central passages of said castin s an through jthe supporting brackets, flexible means of connection between said sleeves and the brake pipe of the train and othiplflexible means of connection between the u er and lower longitudinal (passages of the castings and the signal an heating pipes of tie train.

3. A train pipe coupling, comprising a pair of hanger members pivotally mounted upon the respective members of the car coupler, castings sup orted by said hanger members, means of s idable engagement between the hangers and castin s, whereby the latter are capable of limite vertical play, supporting brackets mounted beneath the respective members of the car coupler, coupling sleeves extending into the castings and through the lower ends of the supporting brackets, flexible means of connectionbetween said sleevesand the brake pipes, coil springs around the cou ling sleeves to hold t e castings in yielda le engagement and flexible means of connectioh between the upper and. lowerpassages of the castings and the signal and heating pi es of the train.

4. In a trainipe coup ing, bearing plates having longitu inal recessed portions mounted beneaththe respective members of the car coupler, supporting brackets having vertical webs provided attheir upper edges with rounded bearing portions seating in the tubular portions of the bearing plates, said brackets being capable of a limited side play, castings provided with vertically alined longitudinal passages mounted bemonth the res ctive members of the cur coupler, coupling sleeves extending into the central passages of said castings and through the supporting braokets,'flex1ble means of connection between said sleeves and the brake pipe of the train and other flexible means of connection between the upper and lower longitudinal assages of the castings and the signal an heating pipes of the train.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnemes.

E. EDMONSTON, J12, JOHN P. DUFFIE. 

